History of the Alliance

On December 14, 2007, the Alliance for a Stronger FDA was formed through a merger of two predecessor organizations — The Coalition for a Stronger FDA and the FDA Alliance:

This merger created a stronger, more multi-faceted organization dedicated to securing a higher level of Congressional funding for the Food and Drug Administration.

Since the merger, as a consequence of greater strategic depth and breadth, and significant grassroots capability, the membership of the new Alliance has been able to deliver stronger and more consistent messages about the need for a strong FDA to the American public, the media, Capitol Hill, and the Executive Branch.

At the time of the merger, representatives of the two original organizations were quoted as follows:

The new organization assures that patients and consumers will be heard, while enjoying the clout derived from being linked with 170 other FDA stakeholders, including health professional groups, health voluntary agencies, and industry. More voices calling for additional federal appropriations for an abandoned agency cannot be ignored.

Diane Dorman, Vice President for Public Policy, National Organization for Rare Disorders

There is unanimity within the FDA stakeholder community that FDA has been chronically under funded and is at risk of losing its position as the world’s leading consumer protection agency. This new Alliance will continue to help get the FDA back on track.

Wayne Pines, Senior Vice President, APCO Worldwide

We believe this new Alliance will strengthen still further our ability to reach out to the Congress, the Executive Branch and the media.

Ladd Wiley, Executive Director of the Coalition for a Stronger FDA

We have each been successful in educating about the need for more appropriated funds for FDA, and now we’ll be able to do an even more effective job.

Steven Grossman, Executive Director of the FDA Alliance

The public health is in jeopardy because of FDA’s inability to conduct food and import inspections, and to have a modern IT system. We want the FDA to be capable of meeting the public’s expectations.